My Zookeeper / Vet Nurse Diary and Adventures!: Life....2020- 2023

Heyy heyyy,

Me again haha

Again it's been a long time since I posted, a lot has happened since then.

I have a few drafts to continue but this is the main one I've been trying to write hahaa

I have drafted this a fair few times lol so at the time of drafting.....

I am still working at my little hadham branch, but instead of working as a patient care assistant, I am now working as a Student Veterinary Nurse. I started college in September 2021, and I am nearly half way through my course, scary huh?

I am enjoying this course so much and being able to be a student vet nurse is enjoyable too, there is so much more you are able to do and be more independent.

Being a student veterinary nurse means you are more responsible for patients and become a lot more independent but are still under supervision by a veterinary surgeon and/or Registered veterinary nurse.

Being at a small practice, a busy practice has been tough, but it is worth the whole training. You get to do so much, see many different cases and interact with clients as well as the animals.

In the last year we have gone from being a one veterinary surgeon practice to two, then back to one for around 8 months then finally we were able to get another veterinary surgeon to be perminant. This is also what has made it tough over the last few years, but it had been worth it.

Being a student veterinary nurse isn't all cuddles and grooming the animals, it's taking care of them when they are at their worst and ensuring their health and welfare is maintained to get them back to normal health again. It is also client based, speaking to people on the phone, organising payments, insurances- doing claims and also sorting out procedures on a day to day basis.

A student veterinary nurse isn't easy at times, you have to take away your emotional attachment and think about the pets, they aren't your animals, they are someone elses animal and you've got to realise the consequences of your actions and to understand the owners perspective too.

On the subject of a student veterinary nurse, you have to attend college one day a week and Carry out practicals and lectures. Which is a tough one, balancing work,student and home life. I have found this journey hard, hard because I just can't seem to get myself into a routine of studying, time for myself and exercise.

I have had some troubles with this course, and my practical work at branch. I am not getting on with practical things for example forgetting things I've been told and also not understanding why we do things the way we do. I am not gaining the knowledge, understanding and skills I need at this specific time in my career as a nurse. I am potentially going into 2nd year nursing but I am just not competent enough for this stage at the moment.

I have had trouble with my exams and failed my last attempt at one of the harder modules, so I would from here need to take time out of the course and become a PCA again, which I don't particularly want to do, but hey ho.

So that's the end of an ear for my nursing career.... 😢 but now onto a new exciting adventure 😄

So... January 2023- I have had to make the hardest decision in my life to leave the nursing profession and carry on with my zookeeping career- but hey what do they say "once a keeper always a keeper".

In the recent years we have also gotten a little puppy 🐶 Her name is

Reba, she is now 18 months old haha she's names after Reba Mcintrye a country singer 😀 she has grown up so much, she know sit,stay,wait,down and okay. She is very well trained and loves her ball.

Below are some pictures of her, her litter mate brother Rucker and her cousin Rhett. Rhett and Rucker belong to my sister and her partner.

During 2022, my lovely sister got married to her partner Steve, so she is now married hehe. Monday 18th July, the hotest day of that year, very very hot. Over 40 decrees Celsius. So she is now Mrs patient, instead of a chase, although she has kept her name but embedded it as a middle name, which is nice.

Also my best friend got married that year too so she became a Mrs instead of a miss. Hehe both weddings went smoothly and we all had a fabulous time.

Hmm what else has happened in the last 3 years hahaa ....

Oh yeah.. I got a new Job hehee as a Ranger Zoo Keeper, at a brand new zoo that opened February 2023.

The new Zoo and job is called GTKA get to know animals and is based outside of Epping, Essex, UK. This Zoo is very small but houses over 300 animals and they are all rescue animals. The zoo helps to educate people of all ages to learn how to care and protect these animals and wildlife.

With this small zoo, you can pay extra to handle the animals and really get to know them, the experience is great. They also do parties, corporate events and also therapy sessions at the zoo in their brand new party cave.